My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.—1 John 3:18
There is a huge chasm between the first half of verse 18 and the second half. That chasm is bridged by the Spirit of God living in our hearts. It is easy to love others in word but impossible to love them in deed and in truth without the Holy Spirit living in our hearts working to reveal in us the beautiful and precious character of Christ. In Him we are sufficient, because He has given us all we need for life and godliness.
By this, John says in verse 16, we know love...
because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
The supernatural love of God has been poured out in the heart of every true believer. Genuine Christian love is evidenced in self-sacrificing and giving...both extraordinary and “ordinary”. Unbelievers, in contrast, are marked (see vs 12-17) by an indifference towards the needs of others. The love of God is shown in that He laid down His life for us. We, as believers, are called to this said same love.
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.—John 15:12
Beloved, the word translated as love in the Bible is never a noun, but always a verb. Love is not reflected in sentiment or feeling but in action. Truth is where our words and our deeds match.
